Portable building structure



March 25, 1958 c. T. LEWIS 2,827,988

PORTABLE BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed June 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. Char/es T. Lew/s.

A TTOR/VE vs.

" March 25,1958 c. T. LEWIS 2,827,988

PORTABLE BUILDING STRUCTURE Filed June 11, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR., Char/es 7'. Lew/3'.

A TTORNE YS.

United States Patent ice PORTABLE BUILDING "STRUCTURE Charles vT.; Lewis, Oklahoma .City, Okla. Application 'June 11,' 1953,"Serial'No. 3613017 .2. Claims. 1(Cl.189'.-2)

"This invention relates to building Structures, and more particularly to such astructure with a novel arrangement of parts for facilitating erection and removal .to other locations. l,

Portable building structures have been used inoil'. fields and other areas for closing. or weatherizing rigs.and equipment to protect same and workmen from bad weather. In the pastsuch portable buildings have consisted offtrames and panelsbolted together in erection and required time and. special help in the field. Also many pieces, such. as bolts and nuts, were required, and installation often necessitated workmen climbing aroundengines and drilling operations as well as 'the' building frame w-hichsometimes'is very hazardous. V

The objects of the present, invention are to vprovidewa portable building wherein the frame includes hinged members for holding panels in .place; to provide a.hi nged rail on upper'frame members whereby workmemat floor level may insert the upper edge of a wall panel in .the hinged rail, push upwardly to partially.rotate the rail upwardly to allow the 'lower edge of the panel .to be aligned with a 'bottom rail, and then lowering of the panel into the bottom rail for completing installation thereof with the upperand lower edges retained in placebythe rails; to provide a portable buildingstructure in which one or more panels may be removed without disturbing the other panels whichremain in their original position; and to provide a building structure which is easy and simple to erect on substructures .commonly placed .in position to accommodate the drilling equipment before drilling is commencedby use .of. helpers usually employed on a rig.

"In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention, I have provided improved details of structure, the preferred forms of which are illustrated in rthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Fig. v1 is a perspective view of a building .-.structure embodying the features. of the present invention.

Fig. 2 isa vertical sectional view through the building structure taken on the line,22, 'Fig. l.

Fig. 3 isa verticalsectional view through the building structure taken onthe line 33, Fig. ,1.

Fig.4'is a vertical sectional view through the :building wall illustrating the initial step in installing a panel.

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view similar to .Fig. 4 with the upper panel holding member hinged upwardly and the panel alignedfor insertion ofthelower. rail.

Fig. 6 is a vertical sectional view through the building wall on itheline 6--6,\Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is ;a partial perspective view of the building structure particularly illustrating .the arrangement of the engagement .of .the hinged upper rail .with1the panel.

2,827,988 Patented Mara-25, 1958 position to accommodate drilling equipment and the i 3 s a partial perspective view showing the at rangementof the lower portion of. the panelin the build ing structure.

Referring snore in .detail :to the drawings: .1 tdesignatesza building structure having a name en like. l'ncthe s'tructure illustrated the'trame'z is made'up .ofaj plurality offpieces ofpipe or other suitable tubular members out to desired lengths, however, other structural shapes couldbe used.

'The (frame -includes a plurality of' base members .6 each of which consists of a tubular member or stringer 7 provided with spaced, transversely extending plates 1 8 )5 or other substructure, andbe suitably secured thereto as. by boltsi9, in. such amanner that the tubularmember or stringer is on'theto'p of the plate 8 and is between the bolt.9 and the desired position of the wall panels3. The plates "8 e'x'ten'd under the desired position of the lower edgesof the wall panels3 and securedto thesaid .ext'endingportion are bottom rails 10. 'The rails ltljare illustrated .as being channel shape with the'web of'the channels secured to the top of the plate 8 and one of the legs of the channel adjacent the tubular member 7. Thebottom-rail '10 is preferably coextensive. in length with the tubular member or stringer 7,.however, aplur'ality of sections of the rail. 10 may beutilized, Alsothe rail 10'inaybe an angle-iron insteadtof achannel with 'oneleg secured .to 'theplateJ-S and-the other extending upwardly therefrom in spaced relation to the-tubular member a distance substantially .equalto .thethickness of the wall panel3 to'beinstalled. V

A plurality of spaced, verticallyexteuding ,pins 11 are secured to the tubular member 7 for mounting posts or studding 12. The posts .or studdingare; preferably tubular, however, they may beasolid:with-socketsatthe ends thereof for receiving the pins :11. Theupper-ends "of the posts or studding 12 alsohavesocketsor'ware .of tubular shape -for receiving, pins :13 secured to .and 'depending fromheader menibersll l which are; a-IsOZPIeferably 'oftublil'ar structure. The corners of the structure are preferably braced by-removable ties 15 which connect the head'ermembers of adjacent .wallsrasillustrated in Fig. 1. Also'the structure is preferably-reinforcediby transverse trusses 1"6 removably connected tothehea'der members of opposite walls.

To'turther reinforce the frame tubular -soeket mernbers 17 are suitably secured as by welding to the posts o'r studding .12 between the stringers 7 and headers" 14. The socket members 17 are preferably arrangedlon the oppositesides of the posts orstuddinglZ relative to the sideon which the wall panels 3 are to be installed. Struts 18'df desired length to extend between selected 'studding or posts .are provided with depending pinsl9 which are received in the socket members 17 -of the respective studding or posts whereby the struts :18 connect the studding or posts and extend longitudinally-.ofthe respective wall to further reinforce and. provide a strong .frame structure. The struts 18 are.also arranged at-thertopaof door openings and at the top and bottom of :window openings for carrying ,panel supporting members.

Top or upper rails 20 are arranged QntheheadeI members 14 to engage and support the upper ends of atherip'hery of the collar 23 is such as to receivetheupper" ends of the panels} 'the'rebet'ween. In theillustrated structure "the panels? are "arranged on the exterior of the hinged ontthe header member 14 wherebythe rail 20 may be swung upwardly whereby workmen applying wall panels 3 to the frame 2 grasp a panel 3 while standing on the floor 5 and insert the upper end of'said panel in the spacetbetween the flange 24 andcollar23, as illustratedin Fig. 4. Then by pushing upwardly the upper rail is swung upwardly as in Fig. 5 whereby the lower end of the panel may be moved toward the studding or posts 12 until the lower end of the panel is above and in alignment with the space between the upwardly extending legs of the channel member forming the rail 10. Then the panel 3 is lowered until the lower end thereof engages in the channel of the rail 10. During the lowering movement of the panel the upper rail 20 remains in engagement therewith whereby when the panel is applied the upper and lower ends thereofare retained in position by the rails 20 and as shown in Fig. 6.

In the building structure illustrated the end 25 is open and the header members 14 of the side frames 26 and 27 slope toward the end 28 whereby the roof panels 4 slope. Roof supporting angle brackets 29 are arranged on the header member 14 for the end frame 28 and also on the trusses 16. Each of said angle brackets 29 has flanges 30 secured as by welding to said header member 14 of the end frame 28 and the trusses 16, the other flange 31 of the angle brackets being above the header member and trusses and extending toward the open end 25 of the structure or the higher portion of the roof, the upper face of the flange 31 substantially corresponding to the slope of said roof.

The roof panels 4 are provided with locking lugs 32 on their lower faces 33, said lugs consisting of spacers 34 secured to the under face 33 of the roof panels and plate members 35 suitably secured to the spacers and extending toward the end frame 28. The spacers 34 are preferably substantially the same thickness as the flange 31 whereby the locking lugs 32 may be engaged with the angle brackets 29 with the flange 31 of said angle brackets between the plate portion 35 of the locking lugs and the under surface 33 of the roof panels as shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

' -In assembling a building of parts constructed as described, the base members 6 are secured to the floor by bolts 9 in a position to substantially define the desired walls of the building. The studding or posts 12 are then assembled by sleeving the lower ends thereof over the respective pins 11 which are upstanding and spaced along the stringers 7. Then the header members are mounted on the posts or studding by sleeving the pins 13 into the upper ends of said posts or studding. The trusses 16, braces and struts 18 are then connected in the structure to make a strong frame 2. The wall panels 3 are then mounted on the erected frame by inserting the upper ends of the panels 3 between the flange 24 of the upper rail and the collar 23. Then the panel is placed upwardly, swinging the rail upwardly as shown in Fig. 5 and the lower end of the wall panel 3 moves into alignment with the channel of the lower rail 10. The panel 3 is then lowered into the position shown in Fig. 6. After the wall panels are arranged on the building structure the roof panels are placed over the trusses and header member 14 of the end frame 28 and the panels moved to engage the locking lugs with the angle brackets 29. Each of the roof panels is separately secured in place by locking lugs and angle brackets whereby one or more of the a roof panels may be removed individually.

When it' is desired to move the building to another v location the various parts are disassembled and readily transported and erected at the other site.

It is believed obvious that I have provided a portable ture can be very quickly and easily assembled, and when occasion requires one or more panels may be very quickly and easily withdrawn and the entire building removed to another. location. It is also believed obvious I have provided a structure wherein unskilled workmen can quickly and easily place the wall'panels in position while standing on the floor or other support and without climbing around equipment or otherwise creating hazardous conditions during erection of the building.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l, in a portable building structure having spaced walls, a support, a plurality of removably connected members forming a building frame having wall b'asemembers secured to the support and including vertically extending studs removably mounted on the wall base members and header members releasably connecting the upper ends of the studs, said wall base members having stringers extending longitudinally of the respective walls, said header members extending longitudinally of the, respective wall base members, means secured on the wall base members alongside the stringers and having open top channels extending longitudinally of the respective walls, aplurality of wall panels having lower ends supported in said open top channels of the respective wall base members, said open top channels being of suitable width to slidably and removably receive said lower ends of said wall panels, and means hingedly mounted on the header members and cooperating therewith to form open bottom channels extending longitudinally of the respective wall panels and in verticalalignment with the channel means on' the wall base members and engaging the upper ends of said wall panels and cooperating with the open top channel means on the respective wall base member to retain the wall panels therebetween, said open bottom channels being of suitable width to slidably and remov ably receive the upper ends of said wall panels, said wall panelsbeing of'a length to extend into the aligned upper and lower channel means whereby the upper ends of the wall panels are inserted into the upper channel means and pushed upwardly to hinge said upper channel means upwardly to permit the lower ends of the wall panels to be moved over and in alignment with the lower'channel means and lowering of the wall panels effects engagement of the lower channel means while maintaining engagement of the upper channel means.

2. In a portable building structure having spaced walls, a support, a plurality of removably connected members forming a building frame having wall base members secured to' the support and including vertically extending studs on the wall base members and header members connecting the upper ends of the studs, said wall base members having tubular stringers extending longitudinally of the respective walls, said header members being tubular and extending longitudinally of the respective wall base members, means on the wall base members alongside the stringers and forming open top channels extending longitudinally of the respective walls, a plurality of wall panels having lower ends supported in said open top channels of thetrespective wall base members, said open top channels being of suitable width to slidably and removably receive said lower ends of said wall panels, means hingedly mounted on the header members forming open bottom channels extending longitudinally of the respective walls and in vertical alignment with the channel means on the wall base members and engaging'the upper ends of said wall panels and cooperating with the open top channel means on the respective wall I base members to retain the wall panels therebetween,

said open bottom channels being of suitable width to slidably and removably receive-the upper ends of said wall panels, said wall panels being of a length to extend into the aligned upper and lowerchannel means whereby the upper ends of the wall panels are inserted into the upper channel means pushed upwardly to hinge said upper channel means upwardly to permit the lower ends- 5 6 of the wall panels to be moved in alignment with the portions spaced therefrom slidably embracing the bracket lower channel means and lowering of the wall panels members for retaining the roof panels in position.

efiects engagement of the lower channel means while maintaining engagement of the upper channel means with R ences Cited in the file Of this patent said Wall panels, a plurality of roof panels having end 5 UNITE STAT PATENTS portions extending over the header member and beyond the wall panels, bracket mernlbers fixed on the header 5:2 22322" members having portions extendlng upwardly and tenm- 2298743 Lichtor Oct. 13 1942 mating in plate portions inclined laterally from the header members, and locking lugs on the roof panels and having 10 2612660 Casey 1952 

